Don't Hang Up
by liviafan1
Summary: The missing phone conversations between the writer and his muse. Starting from Season One and continuing to the present. For Richard Castle, please press one.
1. Chapter 1

**Semi-long author's note. I apologize.**

**The premise of this story is simple. Each section is merely an expansion of a phone conversation we see onscreen with Castle and Beckett, typically from the beginning of the episodes where she calls about a body. Not every episode has such a call, so not every episode will be written in this story, either.**

**I started this little story with Emma (FanficWriterGHC) several months ago. We both got a little lax with writing it (school work and other writing priorities), so I talked to her and decided to take it over and finish writing it myself. But until otherwise noted (sometime in the following chapters), she wrote the even-numbered episodes and I wrote the odd-numbered ones.**

**As the sections get longer as Castle and Beckett get to know each other better, there'll (likely) be fewer phone conversations in one chapter.**

* * *

******1x02 Nanny McDead**

"Actually, I got the plot of my first novel by watching One Life To Live, Ah!" he slips his phone open, giving his daughter and mother a look as he greets, "Detective Beckett, did you miss me already?"

Her "In your dreams," lacks any type of humor, but he figures it must be the hour. After all, she doesn't have his lovely daughter and crazy, though entertaining, mother to go home to. "The M.E's doing the autopsy."

"Really? They do those at night?" he asks, already excited. He's never seen a real autopsy.

"Yes," she replies tersely. Fine, she can be touchy. Doesn't make it any less cool. "You in or what?"

"No, for sure. I'm just-I'm just touched that you thought of me," he says, grinning even though she's not there to see it and-

"Montgomery ordered me to call you."

See it and scowl. Ah well. "Oh, ordered to call me," he provides, laughing a little for his family's benefit; they're listening, as usual. "Well, either way."

"So glad that does it for you Castle," she bites into the speaker. "See you in twenty."

"Okay," he says cheerfully. An autopsy. How awesome is that?

* * *

**1x03 Hedge Fund Homeboys**

He pops a piece of cantaloupe in his mouth, already feels the thrum of murder humming in his veins as he answers the call.

"Who was murdered and was it gruesome?"

He hears her groan on the other end. "A little respect, Castle?" The cantaloupe rolls slowly in his mouth as her reprimanding tone rings through his head. He can almost see her rolling her eyes.

He swallows hard, doesn't know how to respond.

She sighs, no-nonsense. "Just meet me in Central Park in fifteen minutes." She pauses. "And let's keep the witty comments to a minimum, okay?"

A grin finds its way to his lips. "You don't really mean that," he drawls.

She snorts. "Try me, Castle."

"Why, Detective Beckett-"

"I'm hanging up now." His mouth twitches in amusement as the line goes dead. He ends the call, turns around to find Alexis shaking her head at him next to his mother, who stares at him with raised eyebrows.

"You know I'm really going to miss you," Alexis says. He cocks his head in confusion. "At the rate you're going, Detective Beckett's sure to murder you in your sleep." She shrugs.

He scoffs. "I'm sure she's secretly thrilled to have me."

"Keep telling yourself that, darling," Martha says, exchanging knowing glances with Alexis.

He huffs out a breath, brushes a quick kiss across Alexis' forehead.

"Duty calls." He waggles his eyebrows, more excited than a kid on Christmas.

He'll win her over eventually.

* * *

**1x04 Hell Hath No Fury**

"Lanie, you're surrounded by corpses," she protests. Maybe she could have turned a light on, but there's something...refreshing about the calm of the morgue late at night. Oh, she can't even touch that one.

"Yeah, I don't expect the living after seven o'clock."

"Funny, neither do I," she says, kicking a leg out.

"I'm an ME, what's your excuse?" Lanie asks, eyebrow up, all sass.

"Oh, don't be mean!"

"You deserve it," Lanie tosses back. Not fair. "Getting a drink with me after work, instead of gettin' your freak on with writer boy?"

This again? Seriously? "Yeah, well, he is annoying, self-centered, egotistical, and completely-"

"Fun," Lanie interjects, loud enough to cut her off.

Kate glares at her, but-no, she won't admit that he's fun. He's not. He's a child. A completely handsome, witty-jackass. Jackass-ish child, and she's sticking to it.

"And take it from me, girlfriend, you need some fun," Lanie continues in that really annoying way that makes it so freakin' difficult to argue. Her phone rings. "I mean, how bad can he be?"

If it weren't for the fact that the writer in question flashes across her screen, she'd be saved. As it is, at least it's not more of Lanie's "Get your man" speech.

"Beckett," she greets.

"Guess who's got a date with a prostitute?" he cheers across the line.

Damn. Damn it all to hell. He got to her first. Egotistical bastard. She spreads her hands out as Lanie giggles into the back of her palm. See? Fun is not the way to describe Richard Castle.

"You must be so glad someone is finally desperate enough to sleep with you," she drawls, bringing the phone back to her ear.

And the jerk has the gaul to laugh. God, he's insufferable. "And I won't even have to pay her. Lovely, isn't it?" he says. "Meeting's tomorrow morning, 10. Text you the address. You in?"

"Unless you do want to pay her," she grinds out.

"Perfect," he says, and she can practically see that smug grin that stretches across his face and crinkles the corners of his eyes. "See you then."

"Goodbye, Castle," she offers tightly. She shoves her phone into her bag and gives Lanie a look. He's so infuriating.

"Say what you want, but you're enjoying it," Lanie decides, turning to grab her own purse. "Now, how drunk do I have to get you before you dish?"

"Very drunk," Kate concedes, hopping off the table to follow her friend out of the morgue. "Very, very drunk."

* * *

**1x07 Home is Where the Heart Stops**

He flicks his fencing mask up, panting heavily, bested by his 15 year-old daughter.

"Hello?"

"Bad time, Castle? You sound a little breathless." He swears he detects a hint of teasing in her tone.

He grins, covers the mouthpiece of his phone. "Beckett," he mouths to Alexis. "As if there could be a bad time for a murder, Detective." He blinks, clearing his throat. "Well, except for the, uh, victim, that is." He winces.

She hums in that way she does that usually accompanies an eyeroll. "So you in or what?"

"Give me twenty minutes? I'm a little, uh, sweaty," he admits, plucking at his fencing attire.

She groans. "I'm not even gonna touch that one."

"I was fencing, Beckett." He traipses back to his room, sticking a finger in his ear to drown out the tones of his mother on the piano.

"Is that what the kids are calling it these days?" she throws back.

"Does that mean you don't know what the kids are calling it these days? Because I would be more than happy to educate you," he teases, kicking out of his white uniform.

"Castle," she huffs in exasperation.

"Yes?" he drawls. God, he loves toying with her. It excites him far more than it should.

"Just-" She lets out a groan of frustration. "Meet me in ten minutes, okay? I'll text you the address."

He smiles. "Whatever you say, Detective."

She scoffs. "I'll remember that."

He opens his mouth to retort, but the line clicks off. He shakes his head in amusement, tosses his phone on the bed as he pulls on a blue striped shirt.

Yeah. Enjoys it_ way_ too much.

* * *

**Love to hear from you!**

**Liv**


	2. Chapter 2

**2x08 is Emma's last one. Thanks for writing this with me, Em! Love you.**

**Another thing: I work as an editor for money, so typically my grammatical and spelling skills are up to par. That's not to say that I don't make a mistake once in a while, but if you do notice something, it makes more sense to tell me specifically what it is than to tell me that I have editing errors. Just for future reference.**

**End passive aggressive author's note. They really will cease to be this long. Promise.**

* * *

**2x04 Fool Me Once**

"Castle," he answers, straining to hear the fading sounds of conversation that float down the stairs. That kid is so too hot to be anywhere near his daughter.

"We've got a fresh one," Beckett tosses out.

"Yeah," he says, turning to look up the stairs. They've gone quiet-never a good sign.

"This a bad time?"

Oh, Beckett. Right. Murder. "Nope, no, I'm-right now?" Maybe he can just stay for the lesson, meet her at the precinct.

"Trust me, Castle. You're gonna want to see this one."

He turns around and reaches for his coat, suddenly excited. She never sounds like that-all mysterious and eager. "Is it Beckett-flavored?" he asks as he gets his coat on.

"I'm gonna kill Esposito," she mumbles.

He covers the phone with his hand and spins toward the stairs. "Alexis! Got a dead body. Be back for dinner." There, intimidate the little, big, uh, college boy he's leaving his kid with.

"Okay," Alexis calls down.

Maybe he should stay home. He doesn't hear any violin up there.

"Castle!"

He brings the phone back to his ear. "Sorry. Uh-Alexis."

"Texting you the address."

She clicks off and he stares at his phone, then up the stairs.

_Trust me, Castle. You're gonna want to see this one._

He really can't pass that up.

The violin starts up and he sighs, opening Beckett's message. Stupid trust-if Alexis was a rowdy kid he'd never have to be comfortable leaving her alone with boys.

* * *

**2x06 Vampire Weekend**

"Beckett, what are you doing up so late?"

She rolls her eyes and shrugs her free hand into her jacket. "Working on the solution to world hunger," she offers as she spins around, looking for her keys.

"Oh really?" She can practically hear the smile on his face. She's not sure if it's good or bad to get him going before she even gets to his building.

"We've got a body."

"Ooh, a body close to Halloween. Must be my lucky night."

"Glad to make your dreams come true, Castle," she says, grinning as she finally finds her keys. Really, what were they doing on the couch?

Ah, right. She shifts a copy of _Flowers for Your Grave_.

"Nice to know you were thinking of me," he says, and she can practically hear his cheeky little smile.

She flicks Castle's face as she closes the back cover. Ass.

"I'll be outside your place in ten. Be downstairs," she orders; she's not starting tonight with a smug Castle. It's just too much.

Bad enough that they're going to a cemetery.

"Yes ma'am," he says cheerily. "Alexis, I have to go. There's a body with my name on it. If I'm not home by morning, call the Ghostbusters."

Then again, a cemetery, at night, with Castle-could be worse.

* * *

**2x07 Famous Last Words**

"Alexis," he starts, watching as his little girl walks out of his office, shoulders slumped, head hanging low.

"I just wanna be alone, Dad," she calls over her shoulder, sniffling as she shuffles away to mourn her idol.

"Castle, are you there?" He jumps in the air, jolted out of his thoughts by his favorite detective's voice on the line, phone forgotten in his hand.

He winces, shoves the phone to his ear. "Yeah, I'm here. Sorry."

"Everything okay?" she asks tentatively.

He sighs. "That depends."

"On?"

"You're calling about a body, right?" he asks inanely as he steps into his bedroom, shucking his pants for more appropriate attire.

"No, Castle, I'm calling to ask your opinion on what I should wear into the precinct today."

He stops, perks up immediately. "Really?"

"No," and he can see the all-too familiar roll of her eyes. "Of course there's been a murder, Castle."

He scrubs a hand down his face. "It wouldn't happen to be in Chelsea, would it?"

She lets out a low groan. "Is this your way of telling me that I'm going to have to arrest you?"

He smirks. "No, but let's come back to _that_ later." He shrugs into a dark button up. "No, Alexis read something on a gossip site about the murder of her favorite singer. Reported in an alley in Chelsea."

"Oh," she murmurs softly. Almost sympathetic. She's silent for a moment and he wonders what she's thinking. "Well, there's only one way to find out. Meet me in twenty."

And then-

"And Castle?" He hears her sigh. "I hope she's wrong."

The line goes dead.

* * *

**2x08 Kill the Messenger**

"Yes, Beckett. Either there's a dead body, or you just wanna hear my sultry voice," he jeers over the line.

"Hear the sound of it choking out on your last breath."

He winces. "Dead body it is, where?"

"59th and Crosby," she says with a little less murder in her voice. "Meet me there in 20."

"Everything...okay?" he asks timidly. She doesn't usually start in with bodily harm until her caffeine has run out.

"Stubbed my toe," she grumbles.

He can't help but grin at his daughter and mother, who look like they're having way too much fun watching him. Huh. Better tone it down.

"Castle!"

Whoops. "Yeah, sorry. 20 minutes. See you there."

"Good."

The line goes dead and he puts down his phone, going for nonchalant.

"Do try and keep her happy, dear," his mother suggests as Alexis types a few more entries into Martha's 'Myface.'

"I'll work on it, mother."

He grabs his keys and pecks Alexis on the cheek. "Hope you have better luck than me," he whispers before pulling away.

Alexis grins and shoos him away.

So, Detective Beckett gets grumpy when she's got an owey. How delightful.

* * *

**Love to hear from you as always.**

**Liv**


End file.
